Permit category
Retention Limit per Vessel per Day/Trip
HMS Angling category
1 school or large school BFT (27 to <59")
HMS Charter/Headboat category (while fishing recreationally)
1 school BFT (27 to <47") and 1 large school BFT (47 to <59")

These limits are effective for all areas except the Gulf of Mexico, the designated spawning grounds for BFT and where NMFS prohibits targeted fishing. Regardless of the duration of a fishing trip, the daily retention limit applies upon landing.
(2) Closure ofthelargemedium!giant"trophy"BFT(73"orgreater)fis herysouth of39°18'N (off Great Egg Inlet, NJ) through December 31,2011 (based on North Carolina Tagging Program data)
Information from the North Carolina Tagging Program and from fishery participants indicates that the vast majority of BFT landed recreationally this year have been 59 inches or greater. As in 2010, it is reasonable to assume that the codified large school/small medium subquota (and potentially the Angling category quota overall) would be exceeded under the default daily retention limit, particularly due to the expected continued high availability of small medium BFT coastwide. Therefore, NMFS has determined that the Angling category retention limit should be adjusted to prohibit the retention of small medium BFT. Additionally, North Carolina Tagging Program data indicate that the codified southern trophy quota (2.9 mt) has been taken.
The annual Angling category trophy limit of one large medium or giant BFT per vessel (73" or greater) remains in effect for vessels fishing in the northern area.
NMFS takes these actions to be consistent with the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan and to prevent overharvest of the 2011 Angling category quota. In taking this action, NMFS considered the regulatory determination criteria regarding inseason adjustments, including available quota, fishery performance in recent years, and the availability of BFT (particularly small medium BFT) on the fishing grounds.
Anglers may catch and release or tag and release BFT of all sizes, subject to the requirements of the HMS catch-and-release and tag-and-release programs. NMFS regulations at 50 CFR

And NMFS will probably be dumbasses as usual and keep the gen cat quota at 3 per day, even though they are going to have increased effort in the category.

So this means that we are going to have a glut of landings in June, because everyone is going to be rigged and waiting for them, thinking they need to catch quick before this tiny a$s quota gets filled.
Now couple this increase in catch, with a sh*tty Japanese market, and we are going to have hundreds of June rubberball racers sitting on the dock going to domestic markets for $2 per pound.
And come fall, when those tuna actually have some fat on them, and the Japanese market might be improving, we will have no quota, and will be watching fish jump all over the place, and not be able to touch them.

And NMFS will probably be dumbasses as usual and keep the gen cat quota at 3 per day, even though they are going to have increased effort in the category.

So this means that we are going to have a glut of landings in June, because everyone is going to be rigged and waiting for them, thinking they need to catch quick before this tiny a$s quota gets filled.
Now couple this increase in catch, with a sh*tty Japanese market, and we are going to have hundreds of June rubberball racers sitting on the dock going to domestic markets for $2 per pound.
And come fall, when those tuna actually have some fat on them, and the Japanese market might be improving, we will have no quota, and will be watching fish jump all over the place, and not be able to touch them.

Good times.

Exactly. Meanwhile those longline rapists with all that discard can continue to devastate the fishery without repercussions. And they blame the rec's for the fisheries issues.

By longline discards, I assume you mean the allocation that for every one recreational fish caught, the longliners can legally kick one dead over the side?

That's F'ing logical fisheries management.

The only smart thing NMFS has done since they started F'ing up the world in 1976 was close the swordfish spawning grounds off Florida to longlining. And it actually worked.

Yet these Jacka$$es in Gloucester have been "managing" Bluefin since '76 and have never shut down the Bluefin Gulf breeding ground to longling in that entire time. Instead, they just made High-Grading legal.

F'ing Morons. (And Kevin, if your reading this, I still like you, I just really, really, really, Hate your boss).

Pretty unfair again to have that entire size limit of 59-73 inch fish taken down south so the recreation anglers here do not have a chance to take home one. This needs to be adjusted in fairness to the charter boats here in new england as well. Can we switch it next yr to only let them catch the fish up to 59 inches and we get the 59-73

STARTING ON APRIL 2, 2011, the BFT retention limits will change to one BFT (measuring 27 to less than 59 inches) for private vessels per vessel per day/trip and to one school BFT (measuring 27 to less than 47 inches) and one large school BFT (measuring 47 to less than 59 inches) for charter/headboat vessels per vessel per day/trip; and (2) closure of the southern area large medium/giant “trophy” BFT fishery (for BFT measuring 73 inches and greater).

Unless something changes, looks like us northerners still get to keep one >73"?

and (2) closure of the southern area large medium/giant “trophy” BFT fishery (for BFT measuring 73 inches and greater). The Angling category North/South line is at 39°18’ N. lat. (off Great Egg Inlet, NJ). The annual Angling category trophy limit of one large medium or giant BFT per vessel (73” or greater) remains in effect for vessels fishing in the northern area.

Given the diversity of the human species, there is no “normal” human genome sequence. We are all mutants.